Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): Monsoon season is yet to arrive but gifts rained on 1-km stretch in Ashoka Garden of Bhopal as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan pushed a decorated handcart to collect the same on Tuesday evening.
CM had announced a few days back about his plan to push the handcart (thela) in the state capital urging people to gift toys for the children.
People responded to his appeal with zeal. They gathered in groups and lined up with gifts from the point the CM started pushing the handcart to the point where he addressed a gathering.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan moving on the streets with handcart to collect toys and books for anganwadi children in Bhopal on Tuesday | FP
It took more than three hours for the CM to reach the venue-Mansadevi temple premises where he addressed the gathering.
The gifts, thousands in number, were much more apart from the toys which included stationery, TV sets, LED TV, other electronic gadgets, buckets, plastic chairs, water cans, school bags, clothes, first aid box, ceiling fans, electric bulbs, cash, cheques etc.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accepting gifts from people donated for anganwadi children in Bhopal on Tuesday | FP
Even as shower of gifts continued Bhopal Municipal Corporation's employees collected and put it in vehicles that were following the CM. Such was the quantity of the gifts that the number of vehicles engaged for collecting the gifts could not match the requirement.Children who turned up with their parents also got the gifts.As per administration, as much as 10 truckloads of gifts were collected.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan moving on the streets with handcart with toys and other things collected for anganwadi children in Bhopal on Tuesday | FP
Medical Education minister Vishwas Sarang in whose legislative assembly constituency Chouhan collected the gifts and Urban Administration and Development minister Bhupendra Singh and state BJP president VD Sharma accompanied the CM. Collector Bhopal, Avinash Lavania, BMC commissioner KVS Choudary and additional commissioner of police Sachin Atulkar were busy controlling the crowd and managing the affairs.
Speaking on the occasion Chouhan said, “It’s amazing. I am overwhelmed. I didn't expect such a mammoth crowd will turn up on my just one appeal. People including women and children showered gifts like anything. Even children offered their ‘gullaks’.”
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accepting gifts from people donated for anganwadi children in Bhopal on Tuesday | FP
He said that he believed that children should be healthy at Anganwadis centres but govt wouldn’t be able to do it alone. People were expected to come forward to take care of anganwadis. “If society rises and takes care of Anganwadis impossible task would be possible”, he said.
He said some people mocked that CM would push a thela but ‘I don’t care such criticism. My goal is clear. I have to change the scene at the anganwadi centres.
He said this campaign would not be confined to Bhopal. It would be replicated in entire state. All angwanwadi centres would have power connections so that children could enjoy watching TV and playing.
DONATIONS: Corporate houses donated about Rs 1 crore and promised to adopt 10 anganwadi centres each. Film actor Akshay Kumar donated Rs 1 crore and promised to take care of 50 anganwadi centres, as per officials.
